Women’s stories

“I have hope again.”

Meredith is a career woman who prides herself on her ability to handle tough situations. So she wasn’t surprised when she sailed through menopause at 51 without missing a beat. But then her job became incredibly stressful, and much to her dismay, at the age of 54 Meredith began to suffer all the symptoms of menopause she hoped she’d missed.

By the time she found our website two years later, Meredith said, she was “close to falling apart.” Her night sweats had led to sleep deprivation. Her hot flashes were affecting her job performance. She knew she needed help but had nowhere to turn.

We first spoke less than three weeks into her Program. All her symptoms were better, even her hot flashes. “I feel so wonderful — I can’t believe it!” she said, “I have hope again.” That day we talked a lot about how to manage her stress at work and different options she might try.

After about three months in the Program we called to see how she was doing, and were pleased to hear that she continues to do well. Her job remains incredibly stressful, and because of downsizing, she’s doing the work of several people. Her mother is in the hospital, and a close friend is dying of cancer. She says, “I am so amazed that my body is holding up!”

“The Program has been life-changing for me,” Meredith says. “Early on, I thought I would have to leave this job due to the pressure. Now I feel like I can handle it.” She also now feels the strength to advocate for herself. She had a heart-to-heart with her boss and explained that she needed to leave work at the scheduled time every day for her mental, emotional and physical well-being. Her boss was continually asking her to do projects and tasks right at quitting time and expecting her to complete them. She says that once she explained that she was trying to take better care of herself, her boss was quite understanding.

But our favorite part of the call was another story altogether. “I went to a party recently and danced all night! She says, “I couldn’t have done that a few months back. There were women younger than me just sitting around all evening while I danced!” She’s even started weight training. “There is just no way I could have exercised at all before the Personal Program — I just had no energy.” She’s on the right track now!

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Last Modified: 02/16/2010